Customer Reviews

American Outrage

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In New York City American Outrage TV news reporter Jake Carlson mourns the loss of his wife Karen. However, their thirteen years old adopted son Sam is having more trouble with her death in many ways more than Jake is as the kid feels he does not belong anymore. Sam asks Jake to find his biological mother; reluctantly he agrees though he is not sure how successful he can be as they adopted him from a nebulous Albanian system.

Jake starts his search with the lawyer who finalized the adoption only to find the man committed suicide. He next goes to the Albanian agency only to learn they are no longer in the baby business; instead they are a travel agency. Still though he makes little progress, Jake digs deeper for Sam's sake with his teen at his side. When the travel agency head is killed after a night with Jake, he knows he is getting close, but not sure what he has. He becomes tabloid news, Sam vanishes, and the Mafia and an unknown affluent adversary want Jake stopped.

This is an enjoyable thriller as Jake changes during the course of the quest. Whereas he initially gives his investigation lip service, he soon realizes how important it is. Adding interest to the fun tale is the reporter becomes the subject of his peers and gets a taste of his own medicine. Fans will enjoy this solid investigative tale.

Harriet Klausner

Another great book by Tim Green. With each book, Green matures as an author. In American Outrage, he juxtaposes a son looking for his real birth mother with organized crime and a behind the scene look into a tabloid news show. From the first page to the last, this book is packed with action and leaves the reader rotting for the heroes to succeed in their mission. If you are a fan of Grisham, DeMille, Patterson and other Green books, you will love this one. Definitely one of his best works.

Has Tim Green really been writing for over a decade? AMERICAN OUTRAGE, his 12th novel, is arguably his most interesting and challenging work to date. The former host of "A Current Affair" uses the experience of working for a TV newsmagazine to great advantage in this book.

Jake Carlson is a successful, though aging, television commentator with an instantly recognizable countenance and a life that most people dream about. However, he is privately reeling, having recently suffered the loss of his wife to cancer. Meanwhile, his adopted son, Sam, is acting out, partially in reaction to his mother's death. Carlson is drinking a bit too much and missing assignments too often for an anchor who is rapidly approaching middle age.

To make matters more complicated, Sam asks his foster dad to use considerable resources to find his birth parents. Carlson knows next to nothing about Sam's origins, having obtained Sam through an adoption agency that had informed him they specialized in placing orphaned Albanian children.

As Carlson delves into Sam's background, the story begins to unravel. The agency that Carlson and his wife used is out of business, the owner apparently having committed suicide. When Carlson starts asking questions, he receives anonymous warnings telling him to back off his investigation. It's not long before Carlson finds himself on a collision course not only with the Albanian mob but also with one of America's oldest and most powerful families --- which appears to have an unexpected tie to Sam as well.

AMERICAN OUTRAGE starts off a bit slowly, but patient readers will be rewarded in the second half, which contains some of the best writing Green has ever done. He drops a number of surprises throughout --- one of the biggest at the halfway point, when he unexpectedly takes a major character piece off the board --- and as the closing pages fly by, it's anyone's guess as to how things will end. This is a strong work by one of the more consistently dependable authors.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Tim Green's latest starts at a slow to moderate pace, but towards the middle of the novel it was a race to the end. His characters seem real and his story telling ability seems to improve with each novel. This novel was an improvement over his last one, which was 'Kingdom Come'.

I read Green's first two books and though I found them intersting I didn't feel they showed me anything special and haven't gone back for more until "American outrage." Jake is a great series characters and the plot was fantastic. The whole experience has changed my opinion completely about this author's talent and I intend to back track and try more.

Good going. I highly recommend this one for sheer creativity, suspense, dialogue and a few unexpected twists.

Jake Carlson, former star of the TV show American Outrage, is facing the stresses of competition. In the dog-eat-dog business of TV journalism, where tabloid stories trump relevant stories, Jake is forced all too often to cover the inane antics of celebrities. Though only forty, Jake is already feeling the crunch of ambitious newcomers and editors in pursuit of ratings. Having recently lost his wife to cancer, Jake's only solace is his adopted son, Sam, and the luxurious home on the beach his earnings have purchased. Based in New York, Jake's frequent travels on assignment have taken a toll on his son, who is experiencing behavioral problems at school. Suspended for fighting, a tearful Sam faces his father's wrath; belatedly Jake realizes his son's pain, especially when Sam begs him to help locate his birth mother. Jake reluctantly agrees, never anticipating the hornet's nest he will stir up with his inquiries.

Juggling a busy work schedule with his promise to Sam, Jake's first tenuous attempts are at the adoption agency that brokered the transaction. That search yields nothing but a wall of denial, a fact that only exacerbates Jake's curiosity. His interest piqued, Jake methodically researches every conceivable avenue, unearthing some ugly truths, the Armenian mob, child trafficking and the inexplicable death of the adoption agent. In contrast, his assignments on American Outrage are absurdly banal, the reporter belatedly realizing how far off track his career has gone. Increasingly rebellious, Jake treads dangerous ground, refusing to cooperate with the network's demands. Clearly, Jake is on a career collision course, but the more he uncovers about the adoption, the more he realizes some extremely dangerous people don't want him in their business.

By now the action is relentless. Sam at his side, Jake honors his promise; but all that seems insignificant, especially when the investigation yields ties to a wealthy American dynasty, the Van Buren's, "the Kennedy's of the Hudson Valley". An already fast-paced plot accelerates, the Armenian mob, the FBI and American Outrage camera crews on Jake's trail, a moving target in a cat-and-mouse game. The investigation reveals the ugly underbelly of organized crime as it adapts to new methods in the age of terrorism, the long tentacles of wealth and power and the media's willingness to sacrifice anything, even a young boy's secret, for an exclusive story. Revaluating his life and the commitment to his career, Jake redeems himself. A somewhat confusing resolution fails to tie the loose ends together, but, for the most part, American Outrage is an unexpected surprise, the action never lagging as this TV journalist sheds a flawed persona for the role of father and serious journalist. Luan Gaines/2007.

American Outrage TV reporter, Jake Carlson is the best at what he does. Maybe that's why his adopted son, Sam has asked him to locate his real mother. Jake would do anything for his son, so he agrees. Jake starts digging around to find out what he can about Sam's biological mother. What Jake soon discovers is an illegal adoption ring that involves a dirty politician. Now everyone Jake holds near and dear to him is in danger including himself.

Jake is the type of guy you want fighting on your side. He stands for everything that is right, no matter how terrible the times get. American Outrage is a high-intensity, thrill ride a minute. The story moves so fast that you will find yourself lost in the moment. American Outrage is the first book I have read by Tim Green and it won't be the last. All I can wonder is where was Mr. Green when I was in my reading slump? Well now that I have read what Mr. Green has to offer, I plan on checking out all of his other works including his next novel, Above the Law.

As host of the TV news show American Outrage the widowed Jake Carlson is an expert at digging up the truth behind the real story. When his teenage adopted son, Sam, asks Jake to track down his birth mother Jake grudgingly agrees. Sam has been acting up in school lately and Jake thinks finding his birth mother might bring Sam some peace.

The further Jake digs the more he reveals shocking evidence of crimes including illegal baby trafficking and a long line of cover ups in one of New York's wealthiest political families. Jake and Sam get caught up in a dangerous game with players who will stop at nothing to keep the truth from being revealed.

I enjoyed listening to the abridged version of American Outrage and thought it was a great story but just a little too predictable. I saw situations coming from a mile away and even correctly guessed the ending but I still felt that it was worth my time. Jake is endearing as the caring Dad who is trying to do right by his son and Sam is an annoying know-it-all with a "potty mouth" but Green makes it work within the story line.

What I also liked about the story is that when all was said and done, Jake got a taste of what it was like to be on the opposite end of the media spectacle. This was my first book by Tim Green and I liked it well enough that I'll be on the lookout for more by him. I recommend this one for action lovers.

Reviewed by Thomas Gabrielli for Reader Views (5/07)

Jake is a widower and television investigative reporter for "American Outrage," a daily tabloid news show. One day, Sam, his adopted son, due to trouble at school with his classmates, asks him to help find his birthmother for him. Jake agrees, and thus begins an adventure that involves Albanian child trafficking, a shifty lawyer, an even shiftier politician, and a mysterious yet beautiful woman with a scar down the side of her face. And that's just skimming the surface of this thriller.

Make no mistake about "American Outrage:" this is a good read; a very good read. Tim Green is quick to set up the plot and hurl the reader into an engrossing story that is believable and entertaining. Throughout, Green leaves you dangling with suspense at the end of chapters, making you want to continue to read on. This man knows how to write!

It's refreshing to read a novel that does not involve high-level espionage, terrorism or whose central, pivotal character is electronic in nature. The plot begins with a simple request from Jake's son - to find his real mother - that unravels into a very complicated yet real situation. And while Jake is focused on this mission, he still has to balance his professional life with the task of finding Sam's real mother. Complications and priorities at work just add to the tension already set by the complications and priorities of Sam's request.

While reading this, I couldn't help but compare Green's writing to that of one of my favorite authors, Harlan Coben. Like Coben, Green brings a high level of suspense to his writing, introducing seemingly normal characters in normal situations, yet giving the reader a [futile] chance to figure out the mystery before the book ends. But Green doesn't tidy everything up until the last few pages, offering the reader a good ride for the read.

Obviously, I'm not saying too much about the plot here for fear of spoiling some of the twists and turns. However, if I need to make one criticism of the book (which is why I gave it four stars instead of five), it is one involving Jake's thirteen-year old son, Sam. At thirteen, his son is much too intelligent, too independent and too intuitive for his age. While I realize that this helped the storyline, at times Sam's actions were just not realistic or believable. Green perhaps should have given Jake a more experienced "partner in crime;" perhaps a colleague from the television studio? Or maybe just an older son.

While I am almost embarrassed to admit that "American Outrage" was the first book I have read by author Tim Green, it certainly won't be my last. I strongly recommend this book for those looking for a good suspense mystery with interesting characters and subplots, twists and turns, and a climax that is exciting, logical and fulfilling. This is the best and most fun read I've had in quite some time.

Received book free of charge

I never know which Tim Green I'll get when I pick up one of his books. Unfortunately, this one turned out to be slow and plodding with one of the main characters being an obnoxious and demanding thirteen year old. Glad I picked it up at the used book store and it did occupy a couple of days at the beach. He's done much better work so hopefully first time readers won't judge him by this somewhat lackluster attempt.